Business challenge
Bee Net Zero (BNZ) has the mission to make Greater Manchester (GM) the easiest place in the UK to become a net-zero business, supporting the GMCA’s goal of a carbon-neutral city-region by 2038. A key of part of this is launching an employee engagement campaign in Spring 2025 to influence workforce behaviour across industries in GM, with the mission for GM to have the lowest carbon workforce in the UK.
Campaign objectives:
- Develop a campaign that aligns with GMCA’s and BNZ’s overarching goals while addressing unique carbon challenges faced by different industries.
- Encourage and enable sustainable behaviour change within Greater Manchester’s workforce.
- Design strategies that are scalable and adaptable across various sectors.
Our approach
This research consisted of 3 stages:
- Literature review: A comprehensive review of best practices, existing initiatives and sustainability strategies within the UK.
- Qualitative: In-depth interviews with sustainability leaders to uncover current practices, challenges and messaging strategies.
- Quantitative: An online survey of 760 GMCA workforce members to assess awareness, engagement and barriers to adopting more sustainable behaviours.
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Outcome
The research provided insights on:
- The actions businesses are already taking to reach net zero.
- How progress is being tracked and measured.
- The main barriers to behaviour change, using the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation).
- The types of support businesses and employees feel they need.
- Reactions to initial campaign concepts, tested using the EAST framework (Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely).
The insights are now being used to help shape BNZ’s approach, ensuring businesses and their employees are supported effectively as they progress on their net zero journey.